Multivitamins Support Weight Management

The relationship between dietary multivitamin and multi-mineral intake and the risk of becoming overweight or obese was evaluated in a new study. In the United States, approximately 68 percent of adults are overweight or obese, and over 33 percent qualify as obese. Overweight and obesity are categorized based on body mass index (BMI), which is a calculation based on height and weight. Overweight is defined as a BMI between 25 and 29.9 and obesity is defined as having a BMI of 30 or greater.
In this new clinical trial, researchers analyzed the effect of supplementing multivitamins in a group of obese women. The subjects in this study included 96 obese Chinese women between 18 and 55 years of age. The women received a multivitamin and multi- mineral supplement daily or a tablet of 162 mg of calcium daily or a placebo for 26 weeks. The women were evaluated for body weight, BMI, waist circumference, fat mass and fat-free mass.
The researchers also evaluated blood pressure; resting energy expenditure, which is the amount of calories required by the body for a 24-hour period during a non-active period; and respiratory quotient(RQ), which is used to calculate basal metabolic rate. Additionally, blood tests, which measured fasting blood glucose, insulin levels, total cholesterol, high density lipoprotein, cholesterol (HDL “good” cholesterol), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL “bad” cholesterol) and triglycerides, were performed at the beginning of the study and after 26 weeks.
The results showed that the group receiving the multivitamin had significantly lower body weight, BMI, fat mass, total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol compared to the placebo group. Additionally, the multivitamin group had higher resting energy expenditure and HDL cholesterol values. There was also a trend in the multivitamin and multimineral group showing reduced waist circumference and respiratory quotient. The group receiving calcium supplementation alone showed higher HDL cholesterol and lower LDL cholesterol compared to the placebo group.
The researchers concluded, “The results suggest that, in obese individuals, multivitamin and mineral supplementation could reduce body weight and fatness and improve serum lipid profiles, possibly through increased energy expenditure and fat oxidation. Supplementation of calcium alone (162 mg per day) only improved lipid profiles.”
Article obtained from complementary prescriptions newsletter